Thunderstorm
by Bee Juice
Summary: A Thunderstorm can open a can of worms unbeknownst to those closest to Amanda. Pure fluff. This story is set early 4th season and their relationship is still a secret to everyone. Short story


Thunderstorms

By: Beejuice

A Thunderstorm can open a can of worms unbeknownst to those closest to Amanda. Pure fluff. This story is set early 4th season and their relationship is still a secret to everyone. This is a short story.

Rated: T

I'm responsible for any and all errors. All of my betas I've used in the past have moved on in life and I haven't written in years. I welcome all comments, whether good or bad, as long as they're constructive. I always want to improve my writing style and enjoy reviews when fans tell me what they liked or didn't like and why. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. I make no money from these characters. I'm simply borrowing them to share stories with others who enjoy that wonderful time in the characters' lives.

A roar of thunder clapped violently with a white-hot streak of lighting not far behind the deafening noise. Amanda snuggled closer, nuzzling the neck of her boyfriend of six months. She had to admit that Lee Stetson sure knew how to express himself physically and emotionally whenever she needed him. Her gesture wasn't overtly obvious, but it wasn't lost upon him. No words were spoken at that time. Another roll of thunder began and was louder and more deafening than the last. She intertwined her legs with his and pulled the blanket more snugly against them, surrounding their bodies with the protection of the soft cotton material.

"Is someone afraid of thunderstorms?" He whispered against her ear, while running his fingers along the side of her ribcage.

She briefly tensed, but didn't respond and gently ran her fingers along the planes of his chest coming to rest above his pecs.

"Mmm, that feels good," he cooed but continued his gentle interrogation. "You didn't answer me, Mrs. King. I asked if someone afraid of thunderstorms?"

"No," she breathed against his neck. "What would make you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, based on the evidence I've been gathering for the last thirty minutes or so, I'd say that every time I hear a clap of thunder or see a streak of lightning, you start squirming. Not that I'm complaining because I want nothing more than to be as close to you as possible. Just call it idle curiosity on my part. So, again, I'm going to ask; are you afraid of thunderstorms?"

She hesitated before she began, which made him pull away a little so he could see her face.

"It's not that I'm afraid of storms, Lee. I'm just not that fond of them," she admitted nonchalantly, gently raising one of her hands.

"Why?" He searched through his mental memory to see if he could equate a situation that he was aware of that could explain her hesitancy but came up blank.

She let out a small sigh and began. "It's really silly and it's not important."

"Amanda," he breathed. "I want to know everything there is to know about you. I hope you don't think anything you tell me about any part of your life is silly because that's simply not true. I love you and I want to know."

"Hmm" she replied, clearly defeated. "I just didn't want to bring up any bad memories for you or me." She knew he wasn't going to simply let it go so she had to finish it.

"Just tell me," he urged her to continue.

"Remember a few years ago, during the case with the microdot that I had to pick up at the Laundromat? It was a Courier assignment that you weren't very happy for me to be do?"

Lee thought for a moment and his eyes clouded over. Due to the dim light in his bedroom, she wasn't able to see when the recollection hit him. He recalled the argument he had with Amanda that evening in her home. Things were said that he clearly didn't mean to say, but his frustration and anger over the situation took over and he said things he clearly regretted and didn't mean to say. He hurt her emotionally that night and saw it in her eyes.

Lee looked over at Amanda. "Yes, I remember. I said some terrible things to you that night; accusations and comments, I had no right to say to you. You were simply trying to help fix the situation and I was a complete jerk." He shook his head.

"Stop," Amanda began, gently touching his cheek. "This is why I didn't want to bring this up. I was embarrassed." She put her head down and continued.

"Anyway, it was storming outside that evening, pretty badly. Between our argument over that courier assignment and then nearly being kidnapped by those men Sinclair had sent, it's stuck with me ever since. Whenever I hear a thunderstorm, it reminds me of that evening, that's all. It's not really the storm that scares me, it just brings back those feelings and memories of that night. I thought I had just lost my best friend and believe it or not, that scared me more than the men who grabbed me," she reluctantly admitted.

Another crash of thunder felt as if the Lee's apartment building shook. That sound caught him off guard.

Lee pulled her close, burying his head against her neck. "I'm so sorry; how insensitive of me. I was so focused on getting that jerk Rollo downtown to interrogate him that I didn't even realize how you must have felt. I remember your Mother and your boys came home and I had to quickly get that bum out of your house." Lee thought intently a bit more in his mind before continuing. "I remember you told me you'd never been so scared in your entire life. I can't believe I didn't realize that." He was mentally cursing at himself, as brief flashes of that evening came to the forefront of his mind.

Amanda soothed him, running her hands up and down his chest. "Don't beat yourself up about it, okay. Maybe I was just too emotional about that situation."

Lee grasped both her hands in his. "Look at me. That was a traumatic event in your life and I can't apologize enough for that night. I'm partially to blame for that entire fiasco. Will you forgive me?"

Amanda turned her hands over so she could kiss each of his hands holding hers. "There's nothing to forgive. I love you Lee, and simply sharing this with you has helped me. I just hope you don't mind me snuggling close whenever there's a storm. It's a reminder of how important you are to me." She smiled brightly and he couldn't miss it, even in the dim light.

"Mrs. King, I welcome a storm every night as an excuse for you to be closer to me. I love you, Amanda." He pulled her in for a hug and didn't release her for several moments.

Amanda pulled back slightly and kissed him tentatively before claiming his mouth with a long, wet, passionate kiss. "I love you too, Lee, more than you can possibly imagine. I feel like I can tell you anything, I just have to remember I don't need to protect you from my feelings and your own. I'm sorry, too."

"Come here," he commanded before flipping her over on her back. "Let me show you how much I love you and what you mean to me."


End file.
